Lead architect Ma Yansong said the new campus will build on the "heritage and history of Shanshui culture"photo: Courtesy of MAD Architects

Construction has commenced on the Quzhou Sports Campus, an ambitious project which is designed to resemble a craterous landscape not unlike the conical puys of France's Massif Central.

Helmed by Beijing-based MAD Architects and based in China’s Zhejiang province, the sprawling, 700,000sq m (7.5 million sq ft) complex will function as a kind of mini-city and feature a 30,000-seat stadium, hotels, youth centres, retail shops, museums, a gym, and a swimming centre.

The site, which has been called "ethereal" and "mysterious", will be topographically diverse and include rolling hills, gardens, a lake, and small woodlands.

According to Ma Yansong, lead architect at MAD, these natural elements are intended to illustrate how urban dwellers of the future can live harmoniously with the environment.

He said: "The relationship between man and nature is not only about ecology and sustainability, but it is also about spirit and mood. This is the culture and philosophy that has long existed in the history of this land and needs to be applied in the development of our future cities."

Speaking on his expectations aims for the campus, he explained: "We dream not only of creating an urban space about sports and ecology but also turning it into a unique land art park."